Second time around in Detroit draws nearly 3,000

Angela Burress, (CQ) 50, walks to work in front of the historic Motown Museum, nicknamed Hitsville USA, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. Burress, who has lived in Detroit all her life, says she's seen the city slowly evolve into its comeback moment.
MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE/NABJ MonitorMARTHA ASENCIO RHINE /NABJ Monitor

By HADIYAH WEAVER

NABJ Monitor

DETROIT — This year’s National Association of Black Journalists convention in Detroit marks three strong years in a row with almost 3,000 people registered.

The number of registrants in Detroit is slightly below the 2016 convention in Washington, D.C., and the 2017 convention in New Orleans, which both had more than 3,200 registrants. The 2016, 2017 and 2018 NABJ conventions are the three largest in the past 10 years.

According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the 2018 convention at the Marriott at the Renaissance Center is expected to generate more than $10.6 million in revenue for metro Detroit.

“Millenials are now the largest group of NABJ, and that’s why we push a lot more content towards millennials and why we are trying to engage millennials even more, because they are the future of this organization,” Berry said.

The numbers address a threat identified in the newly released 2017-20 Strategic Plan that noted that NABJ needs to adapt to millennials’ needs.

NABJ President Sarah Glover said 58 percent of NABJ members are millennials (ages 16-34) and 17 percent are from Gen X (ages 35-44).

“That has to make everybody proud because that means we are going to continue for another 40 years,” Glover said.